Exercise cycle



W. L- JONES EXERCISE CYCLE Feb. 21, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed NOV. 4, 1954 M 1 0V0 did 5 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS 1956 w. JONES 2,735,422

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ATTORNEYS United States Patent EXERCISE CYCLE William Lloyd Jones, La Porte, Ind. Application November 4, 1954, Serial No. 466,722 2 Claims. (Cl. 128-25) This invention relates to an exercise cycle and more particularly to an exercise cycle to be used by an invalid or patient while developing the muscles of the leg with the assistance of an electric motor or the like.

It is an object of this invention to provide an exercise cycle of the kind to be more particularly described hereinafter having a wheel to be turned by the operation of the legs of the persons, there being an electric motor also drivingly connected to the wheel as an aid to the person also turning the wheel by his own leg muscles.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will be hereinafter described and the novel features thereof defined in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. l is a side elevation, partly broken away, of an exercise cycle constructed and arranged according to an embodiment of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view, partly broken away, of my exercise cycle.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation, and,

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section of my invention taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. l, and,

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a foot pedal and clamp used with my invention removed therefrom.

Frequently persons as polio or other persons who require the use of a wheelchair for their normal travelling purposes require an exercise cycle to be used by such person when removed from the wheelchair in the development of the muscles of his leg or legs.

With this in mind I have developed an exercise cyclelt) which may be moved about on a Wheeled base 11 when desired for use by the person wishing to develop his leg muscles.

The base 11 is provided with a pair of longitudinally extending bars 12 connected together at their ends by a transverse bar 14 so that between the longitudinal and transverse bars the base 11 is completed for the exercise cycle 10.

Mounted on the upper surface of the base 11 there is a bearing support 15 formed of vertically extending bars 16 which meet at their ends the ends of the inclined bars 17 for aptly securing thereon a bearing 18 for the axle and crank shaft to be herein described.

The opposite ends of the exercise wheel axle and crank shaft 19 are rotatably carried by each of the bearings 18 on the opposite sides of the exercise cycle 10. The crank shaft 19 is provided with spaced apart cranks 20 intermediate the length of the shaft so that the cranks may be formed integral with or as a part of the axle and crank shaft 19.

For the use of the exercise cycle a pedal 21 is carried by the transverse portion of each of the cranks 20 and each of the pedals 21 has a heel cap 22 with shoe sole engaging clamps 24 thereon connected together by a flat connecting bar 25 and all of the elements of the pedal are engageable by a foot of a person using the exercise cycle. The flat bar 25 is provided with a pedal bearing sleeve 26 extending across the flat bar 25 with which the 2,735,422 Patented Feb. 21, 1956 foot of the operator of the exercise cycle 10 is engaged.

It is not necessary that all of the motion of the wheel be accomplished by the muscles or feet of the user of the exercise cycle because an electric motor 27 is carried by the base 11 to effect the proper rotative movement of the exercise wheel axle and crank shaft. This assistance of the motor will considerably aid and assist the muscles of the user of the exercise cycle.

The motor 27 is fixedly secured on a motor base 28 which is hingedly mounted by a hinge 29 on the upper surface of the base 11 as clearly noted in the drawings.

The motor 27 naturally has a motor shaft 30 rotatable thereby and a sheave 31 is secured on the motor shaft spaced relation to the motor.

An exercise cycle driving wheel shaft is rotatably supported on the base 11 to be driven by the electric motor 27, there being a sheave 34 on the driving shaft 32 in driving engagement with the sheave 31 on the motor shaft 30 described above. A belt 35 is trained about both of these sheaves on one side of the exercise cycle 10 so that when the motor 27 is actuated the exercise axle and crank shaft 19 may be actuated both by the motor and by the muscles of the legs of a person using this exercise cycle.

There is a sheave 36 on one end of the drive shaft 32 on the opposite side of the exercise cycle 10 from the sheaves 31 and 34 herein described before. A related sheave 37 on the axle and crank shaft 19 will effect the rotation of the cranks and pedals when the motor 27 is actuated. A flexible connecting member, as a belt 38 is trained about the sheaves 36 and 37 to accomplish the driving connection between the motor and the axle and crank shaft 19.

By the proper use of this exercise cycle 10 the feet of the user will be engaged on the pedals 21 and the legs of the user will be properly actuated by the rotation of the axle and crank shaft 19 either by his own muscles or by the force of the motor 27.

As a further assist for the use of this exercise cycle 10 a pair of laterally spaced apart U-shaped tracks 41 are secured on the base 11 and extend outwardly therefrom, each Wheel track 41 being adapted to receive a wheel of the wheel chair 42 which the user of the exercise cycle 10 is using.

A chain 44 or other flexible connecting member may be used between the vertically extending bearing supporting bar 16 and the wheel chair itself. A releasable catch 45 is provided on one end of the chain 44 for assisting. holding the wheel chair in reach of the exercise cycle The weight of the wheel chair in the U-shaped tracks 41 will anchor the base 11 together with the weight of the motor 27 so that the exercise cycle 10 will not be free to move around while being used.

Despite these features the exercise cycle 10 can be moved when desired by the engagement of the wheels 46 of the base 11 with a suitable fixed support as a floor or the like.

While the specific details of one embodiment of this invention have been herein shown and described, the invention is not confined thereto as changes and alterations may be made Without departing from the spirit and scope thereof as defined in the amended claims.

I claim:

1. An exercise cycle for use by a person seated in a wheel chair, comprising a base frame of substantially U-shape in plan, traction wheels carried by said base, a crankshaft having a pair of offsets, means rotatably sup porting said crankshaft above said base, a pedal on each offset, means rotating said crankshaft, a pair of channelshaped wheel guides adapted to be engaged by the front wheels of the chair, means securing said guides to said base frame, and a pair of flexible chair holding members carried by said crankshaft supporting means, said holding members being engageable with the front of the chair frame for holding the latter against rearward movement on said guides.

2. An exercise cycle for use by a person seated in a wheel chair, comprising a base frame of substantially U-shape in plan, traction wheels carried by said base, a crankshaft having a pair of oifsets, means rotatably supporting said crankshaft above said base, said supporting means comprising a pair of vertical bars fixed one to each side of the base frame adjacent the rear thereof, a pair of upwardly and rearwardly enclosed bars fixed at their lower ends to the sides of said base frame, a pair of bearings fixed to the upper ends of the adjacent vertical and inclined bars, a'pedal on each offset, means rotating said crankshaft, a pair of channel shaped wheel guides adapted to'b'e engaged by the front wheels of the chair, means securing said guides to said base frame, and a pair of flexible chair holding members carried by said crankshaft supporting means, said holding members being engageable with the front of the chair frame for holding the latter against rearward movement on said guides.

References Cited in thefile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,062,299 Erickson; Dec. 1, 1936 2,165,754 Hornack July 11, 1939 2,261,355 Flynn Nov. 4, i941 

